The Spiritual Practice of writing a thank-you letter
This is the second post in a series on the ABCs - Annual Blessing of Charitable Receipts. The thank you letter offers an opportunity to thank God for people’s contributions.
People *actually open* the receipt letter, or the email. They are paying attention! Sending thank-you letters with annual receipts blesses both the donor receiving the letter and the person writing it.
This post dives into gratitude and includes prompts for writing a thank-you letter. It includes a sample thank-you letter from the viewpoint of a tiny congregation which you are welcome to copy and adapt.
The Spiritual Practice of writing a thank-you letter
A Christian thank-you letter points to God, the creator of all good things. Thank you is recognizing God’s goodness. It’s worth celebrating when people sharing the resources God has entrusted to them.
Start by looking outside yourself
Remember, the letter points to God; orient yourself in that direction. Some resources include:
Psalms. Any and all. Keep reading the next one too. Even the saddest songs of lament move to praise.
Lectionary. Type Lectionary into a search engine and find the Scripture readings closest to the current date.
Devotional reading. The Henri Nouwen Society is a favourite of mine.
Review the year that was and take time to pray before writing the letter.
Quick tips for writing the letter
Your letter doesn’t need to sound like my examples, it needs to sound like you! If you would normally say “Praise Jesus!” then say that. If you would normally be formal, be formal.
Grammar and proper writing style doesn’t matter as much as that little voice in your head tells you it does.
A classic opening line
I swiped this one from the Apostle Paul:
I praise the Lord for the generous gifts people gave to St. Andrew’s in 2021.
I thank God for the generous gifts given to St. George’s this past year.
I thank God for your gift to St. Andrew’s church. It is a blessing and an encouragement to know that you care about this ministry.
Building blocks
Rebekah Basinger shared a letter she wrote for her congregation which included two wonderful sentences that could be building blocks for any letter.
Thanks to the generosity of God’s people, Grace church was able to <insert list of ministry highlights here>
Thank you for reflecting God’s generosity by <giving, sharing talents, praying, volunteering…>
Think of this as lectio divina of the church calendar. Reflect on the year your church has had. Some examples to fill in the blanks in the prompts above:
worship service in the park
food bank – helping neighbours
hospital visits
prayer support
the seniors who play cards in the basement on Tuesday afternoon
meals delivered to new parents
contributions to wider church
Closing
If you have liturgy or words of blessing familiar to your congregation, go for it. Here are some suggestions:
Thank you for your prayerful support of Grace church, it is deeply appreciated.
Thanks be to God for gifts given and shared.
Sample thank-you letter
St. Andrew’s Church has 25 members. There used to be 27, two members have died in the past year. It has been a difficult year. Rev. Hernandez also ministers at St. George’s 50 miles away. His 2017 minivan knows the road between the two churches well!
Rev. Hernandez looks at the lectionary and is inspired by the Nehemiah reading.
In reviewing the year, he is grateful for the prayers of the congregation. Some people at St. Andrew’s still write letters too and he knows that cards and letters of encouragement nurture many.
He writes:
Dear Mrs. Padua,
I thank God for your gift to St. Andrew’s church. It is a blessing and an encouragement to know that you care about this ministry.
In the lectionary reading for this week, I was struck by “The joy of the Lord is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). It reminds me of Mrs. Alton. I had the honour of conducting her funeral this past year. She had worshipped with this congregation for almost 70 years. The joy of the Lord was her strength. She loved to sing songs about Jesus, and she prayed for this church every day.
When I start to worry about the future of the church, I think of Mrs. Alton. I know God heard those prayers; they are not lost. I am grateful for the faithful prayers which have carried us through many years. We have hope.
Hope isn’t about keeping the building open. Hope isn’t about keeping St. Andrew’s going just like it’s always been. Hope is bigger and less predictable. Thy will be done, thy kingdom come. What does that mean? The Spirit is not done with us yet.
We are still going to worship God, whether that’s online, here in town or in a different place. I invite your continuing prayers. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5 (The Message):
We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how trouble can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue keeping us alert for whatever God will do next.
I thank God for your generosity and for the many cards and letters of encouragement this congregation shares. I pray for you with gratitude.
In Christian love,
Rev. J. Hernandez
Make it your own
Go ahead and edit the example letter to make it your own. Remove the awkward bits and add parts that sound better!
Blessings to you as you embark on the Annual Blessing of Charitable Receipts.
If you liked this post, you’ll enjoy my book Growing a Generous Church: A Year in the Life of Peach Blossom Church which is a hopeful and easy-to-read story for churches who are scared to talk about money!